Pocket sectional capsule and pill holder



1956 H. R. TREGILGAS 2,759,598

POCKET SECTIONAL CAPSULE AND PILL HOLDER Filed June 1, 954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F101 FIG.2I3 FIG.3

I H il *4 INVENTOR HAROLD R. [REGihGAS BY WW ATTORNEY 1956 H. R. TREGILGAS POCKET SECTIONAL CAPSULE AND PILL HOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 1, 1954 FIG. 18

FIG. l4 FIG; I5

mnmnm INVENTOR HAROLD R. TREGILGAS ATTORNEY United States 2,152, 98; Patented Aug. 21 1956 POCKET SECTIONAL CAPSULE AND PILL HOLDER Harold R. Tregilgas, St. Paul, Minn.

Application June 1, 1954, Serial No. 433,507

' 3 Claims. 0.211e-42 This is a sectional holder adapted to support a series of vitamin pills or capsules in a convenient receptacle which may be readily carried in ones pocket and held by an ordinary pocket clip. The sectional construction permits the holder to be made longer or shorter as desired by removing a section or adding one thereto. This sectional construction also permits the forming of different compartments for different pills or tablets desired to be carried in ones pocket in a convenient manner whereby the capsules or pills may be dispensed readily when desired.

In the regular form of this dispenser, it is of a tubular nature approximating the diameter of a pencil or fountain pen, and when madeof transparent or translucent plastic the user can readilyobserve the capsules carried in the same making them readilyaccessible for use. A dispenser of this character for vitamin pills, saccharin tab: lets or any other tablets whichare ordinarily prescribed by the physician may be easily carried.

Furthermore, a dispenser of this nature provides an inconspicuous means ofsupporting the capsules and pills so whenever the user carrying the dispenser wishes to take one of the capsules, he mayreadily do so virtually without attractingthe attention of anyone. The holder mayb'e' made of any number of sections and formed with a series of compartments therein.

It is a feature to provide a dispenser withsleeve-lilge clo suresfor each compartment which maybe held under tension, by friction in a closed position, and rotatable onthe body of the dispenser so the user may open any desired compartment and remove the pill orcapsule. therefrom.

These features together with other details and objects will be fully defined in the specification and claims.

The drawings forming a part of the specificationillustrate the various featuresof the holder:

Figure lillust'rat es aside view of the holder with the pocket clip attached thereto.

Figure 2 illustrates a similar view to Figured looking at the opposite side of the holder.

Figure 3 .is anenlarged longitudinal section of the holder i Figure 4 isa similar view to Figure 3 being sectioned on one side and in full ,lines on the other side of the longitudinal center and showing the closure sleeve ro taitedto opened position. i

"Figure 5'' .illus:trat es an intermediate section I of the holder.

Figure 6 is a similar view to Figure 5 partly. in section and looking at thedc pposite side to that illustrated in Figure '5. i

Figure 7 illustrates one of the closure sleeves rernoyed from the section shdwnin Figure Figure 8 shows the opposite side of the closure e I sleeve shown" in Fight-e7 I Figure? illustrates another section and is partly sectioned.

Figure 10 illustrates the section shown in Figure 9 as it would appear on the opposite side to that shown in Figure 9.

Figure 11 illustrates a closure sleeve partly in section.

Figure 12 illustrates the sleeve shown in Figurell' from the opposite side in Figure 11.

Figure 13 illustrates the sectional holder infull lines on one side of the longitudinal centerand in section on the other side of the center of the holder and showing the sections connected together in a manner so as to form a long continuous tubular holder for large size c'apsules.'

Figure 14 is a side view of an alternative form of the capsule holder and is similar to Figure 1.

Figure 15 is a view on the opposite side to that shown in Figure 14.

Figure 16is an enlarged longitudinal section of. the holder illustrated in' Figures 14 and 15.

Figure17is a similar enlarged showing of the holder illustrated in Figure 16'and aportion of which is broken away.

Figure 18 illustrates the top section of the alternative form of the holder shown in Figure 14 removed from the intermediate section.

Figure 19 illustrates the from the top section.

Figure 20 illustrates the closure sleeve which is similar to the closure sleeve shown in Figures 7 and 8.

Figure 21 illustrates the disk spring used in the auxil iary holder shown in Figure 14.

Figure 22 illustrates the lower closure cap for the auxiliary holderi' i Figure 23 is an enlarged face view of the spring shown in Figure 21.

The 'holder' A is adapted to be supported by a pocket pen clip which ordinarily engages in the"annulargroove 11 ot the upper section 12" of the holder. The section 12 isclosed by the"cap13which is threaded to thesection 12 and normally fo'rrns atop of the holder A.

To the upper section 12' an intermediate section 14' is threaded at 15 to' 'add length to the capsule compartment 16 in the holder A.

The section 14 may be provided with an elongated pill discharging opening 17. A closure sleeve 18 is adapted to rotate'on the'sectio'ri 14 in a manner to close jthe intermediate section removed op'ening17 and is al's ofornied with an elongated openf ing 19 similar in shape and size to the opening 17'. Thus when the sle'eve 13 is rotated on the shank portion 20 of the member 14 and the openings17 and 19 c'oincide, y then the compartment 16 is opened so that a capsuleB may be discharged outof the holderA. The notches 21' are formed in the edge or shoulder of the member 1i into"which the projecting lug 22 formed on the sleeve is'adapted to engage tohold the sleeve 18 in open position or in closed position. Aislo t 23 is formed in" the sl'eeye :18 below the lug 22 so as to provide a resilient means for the lug 22 when it enters" either of the' notches 21 in the member'14. In one position the sleeve enters the notch 21 on one face of the member 14 andwhen the :sleeveis rotated in open,

positionso that the openings 17 and 19 eoincid e, then the lug 22 fits in the notch21onthe oppositeside, of themer nber 14. The respective notches 21 are illustratedin Figures S and 6,, one being onone side of the 1 .mernber 14 and the otheron the other side.

add the necessaryfriction to prevent the free rotation of the sleeve 18 on the shank 20. It is also apparent that any other suitable means for frictionally holding the sleeve 18 on the shank 20 may be employed.

The holder A may be formed with another section 25 which is provided with an internal thread 26 to engage the threads 27 on one end of the member 14. The member 25 is tubular in nature, and the outer diameter is virtually the same as members 12 and 14. When the member 25 it attached to the end of the member 14, the holder A is elongated and a pill compartment 28 is provided. The compartment 26 is separated from the compartment 16 by the end wall 29 formed in the member 14. Thus, the pill compartment 28 is separated from the capsule compartment of the holder A.

The opposite end to the wall 29 of the member 25 may be closed by the wall 30 or this end of the compartment 28 may be opened and closed by the cap 31.

The member 25 is formed with a shoulder 32 similar to the shoulder 24 of the member 14, and the reduced shank portion 33 of the member 25 is adapted to support a closure sleeve 34. The wall of the member 28 is provided with an opening 35 out of which the pills C in the compartment 28 may be discharged when the sleeev 34 is rotated so that the opening 36 in the sleeve coincides with the opening 35 in the member 25. A spring lug 37 engages in the notch 38 formed in the shoulder 32 and a complemental notch 38 on the other side of the member 25 is also adapted to engage the lug 37 to hold the sleeve 34 in open position.

In Figure 13, I have illustrated my holder made up of the cap 13 which closes the portion 12 at the top and another portion 12 attached to the first portion 12 to elongate the holder A, and then the portion 14 connected to the lower end of the second portion 12 while the cap 31 is secured to the lower end of the portion 14.

In the holder A shown in Figure 13, a larger number of large capsules B may be contained and without the compartment 28 for the pills C.

Therefore, it will be apparent that my sectional holder A may be made up of a number of sections which are attached together or which can be disengaged from one another to provide the desired size holder and to accommodate either a variety of pills prescribed by the physician where it is desirable that the patient carry the capsules or pills so as to be reminded to take the same at the time prescribed by the physician. In this manner a simple inexpensive capsule and pill holder is provided which is of a convenient size and which may be readily carried in the pocket.

In the drawings I have illustrated an alternative form of my sectional holder as shown in Figures 14 to 23 inclusive. In this form of the holder A the upper section 40 of the holder A is formed with a closed dome top 41 which is integral with the cylindrical body portion 42 of said section.

The upper section 40 is formed with an annular recess 43 for receiving the gripping band 44 of the pocket clip 45 to hold the pocket clip against longitudinal movement but free to rotate in the recess 43.

The lower end of the upper section 40 is open at 46 and is formed with a reduced shank. A portion 48 is threaded while the lower end of the shank 47 is formed with a smooth cylindrical surface 49 which provides a bearing surface to receive the section 50.

The section 50 is tubular in formation and is internally threaded at 51 which portion engages the threads 48 on the upper section 40.

The section 50 is illustrated in Figure 19 separated from the section 40. The section 50 has a reduced outer diameter 52 which is adapted to carry the closure sleeve 53. A pill or capsule opening 54 is formed in the reduced end of the section 50. The sleeve 53 is formed with a capsule or pill opening 55 which is adapted to be aligned with the opening 54 when the sleeve 53 is turned in a manner to cause the lug 56 formed on the edge of the sleeve 53 to engage in the recess 57 formed in the shoulder of the section .59 as illustrated in Figures 19 and 20. A notch 58 shown in Figure l5 is formed on the back side of the holder A. This notch holds the lug 56 when the sleeve 53 is turned into closed position to close the openings 54 and 55.

A washer spring 59 shown removed in Figure 21 and shown in enlarged face view in Figure 23 is adapted to provide the frictional means for holding the closure sleeve 53 against free rotation.

The lower end of the section 50 is threaded at 60. A smooth cylindrical surface 61 is formed below the threads 60 which guide the closure cap 62 on the end of the section 50. The closure cap is attached to the threads 60 by means of the internal threads 63. This closure cap 62 is knurled at 64. The closure cap 62 is similar to the closure cap 31 in Figures 1 and 2 which is annexed as a finishing and closure for the lower end of the holder A in Figures 14 to 22 inclusive.

An inner closure wall 65 is formed in the section 5!) to separate the lower hollow end 66 of the section 549, and it will be apparent that another hollow section similar to section 25 of Figures 1 to 4 inclusive may be attached to the lower end of section 50 to elongate the holder A when desired.

It will be apparent that the alternative form of my holder A illustrated in Figures 14 to 22 inclusive is in all respects similar to the holder shown in Figures 1 to 13 inclusive excepting the upper section 40 of the alternative holder A is formed with a closed dome top 41, and therefore, no additional. sections can be added to the top of this form of the capsule or pill holder. It will be apparent, however, that any number of additional tubular sections such as the section shown in Figures 1 to 13 inclusive and section 50 illustrated in the alternative form may be added to the upper section 40 for the purpose of giving an additional capacity to the capsule and pill holder A.

Heretofore, pill boxes have been carried by individuals for similar purposes. However, in this case it is desirable to provide a convenient holder which can be conveniently carried in the pocket, and wherein the same being in a similar form to a pen or pencil can be held by a pocket clip. The holder A may be made of transparent plastic or translucent plastic material so that the capsules and pills held therein may be observed at a glance. It is a desirable feature to provide a sectional holder which can be enlarged or reduced in size to accommodate the desires of the user. The sectional holder also permits the changing of sections or replacing any of the same when desired.

While I have illustrated more or less a particular form of holder in the drawings and have described the same, I desire to have it understood that variations may be made within the scope of the appending claims without departing from the spirit of the invention and that the closure members may be varied according to the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A sectional holder for pills and capsules including a series of interchangeable hollow sections, the top section of said holder having a dome-like closed end, a series of interchangeable hollow sections threaded to said top section to provide pill and capsule receiving cham bers in said holder, a section having a discharge opening in the wall thereof, a rotatable closure sleeve for closing said discharge opening, a washer-like spring means for holding said sleeve against free rotation, lug and notch means formed on said section and said sleeve adapted to hold said sleeve in an open or closed position and a closure end for the lower end of said holder threaded to the lowermost section thereof.

2. A holder for medical capsules, pills and the like comprising an upper hollow section having a closed upper dome end, an annular recess in the outer wall of said section for supporting a pocket clip, a lower threaded end formed on said upper section adapted to removably receive a hollow pill and capsule supporting section, a pill and capsule discharge opening formed in said last section, a rotatable sleeve mounted on said section for closing said opening, a washer-like spring for frictionally holding said sleeve against free rotation, an end member for holding said spring in operative position and notch and lug means for holding said rotatable sleeve in predetermined positions to open or close said holder.

3. A sectional container for carrying pills and tablets, comprising removable end sections closed at one end, a series of interchangeable h'ollow intermediate sections threaded to said end sections and to each other, a dispensing section having an annular dispensing slot in the wall thereof, a concentric rotatable closure sleeve around a portion of said dispensing section, a slot in said closure References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 137,496 Lustig Mar. 21, 1944 153,308 Blood July 21, 1874 1,137,642 Lingner Apr. 27, 1915 1,290,440 Wells Jan. 7, 1919 2,060,406 Tiede Nov. 10, 1936 2,236,224 Raschkind Mar. 25, 1941 2,645,375 Toepfer July 14, 1953 2,707,552 Matthiesen May 3, 1955 

